James Tanner: Rogers Taking Over Canadian Hockey Broadcasts: Why It's Bad A look into the NHL's deal with Rogers.

I prefer the NFL model but Hockey Night a national treasure? You're kidding.

I prefer the NFL model but Hockey Night a national treasure? You're kidding.
- allycat

Of course I'm not. It really is.

You made a lot of points. The problem is I had to agree with all of them.

Rogers

James Tanner: Rogers Taking Over Canadian Hockey Broadcasts: Why It's Bad
A look into the NHL's deal with Rogers.
- James_Tanner

I agree with you for once lol well maybe not to the same extremes buts always hated Sportsnet

Rogers epitomizes all that is lame and embarrassing about Canadian broadcasting. The production value looks like something out of a high school audio visual class.

I prefer the NFL model but Hockey Night a national treasure? You're kidding.
- allycat

HNIC was one of the best hockey broadcasts. ANYTHING that the US produces does not hold a candle to HNIC.

We get stupid NBC broadcasts of hockey with Doc Emrick who is so in love with Crosby he mentions him at least 10 times a game, even if it's not the Pens playing.

Give me HNIC any day.

Their first move is to install ubiquitous hipster George Stroumboulopoulos as host at the expense of National Treasure Ron McLean.
- James_Tanner

Ron McLean is not a national treasure.

Holy (frank).

Water always finds it's level. Yes as of now Sportsnet has shown itself to be a second rate broadcaster but where do you think the best hockey broadcasters will eventually wind up? As for the Jays comparison, You're right Rogers hasn't provided for them to be a top tier ball team however they have already come to the table with the NHL and given them the big bucks.

In the short term Sportsnet appears to be out of their league but once the Dregers, McKenzies et all begin to submit their resumes to Sportsnet they will be bigger and better than TSN ever was, in other words, water will find it's level.

Tsn is far superior
The biggest point you have failed in mentioning is

Rogers is now supporting southern us teams that are bleeding money with this 5.2b deal

these teams will not be relocated to canada but your Rogers payment every month is supporting the coyotes and panthers

Bettman screws Canadians 3 fold
1. Crappy sportnet
2. Rogers customers paying for the salaries of coyotes and panthers players and the buyout of riberio
3. Guaranteed no movement for Canadian relocation of these crap us teams

Agreed one hundred. Watching the opening for a game on cbc gives you chills and gets you amped up. I feel for all of cbc employees who r losing jobs to the fact the conservative governmentt wont give them a budget but let rogers rape people monthly. Then again this is the same government that wont regulate car insurance in Ontario and sells our oil and lumber out west and buys it back at higher price. Now I'm just blabbing. Bottom line I was also heartbroken like a leafs fan who cant afford a $300 nose bleed seat to see my team play the panthers because rogerss holds the rights when hearing this sad news

Water always finds it's level. Yes as of now Sportsnet has shown itself to be a second rate broadcaster but where do you think the best hockey broadcasters will eventually wind up? As for the Jays comparison, You're right Rogers hasn't provided for them to be a top tier ball team however they have already come to the table with the NHL and given them the big bucks.

In the short term Sportsnet appears to be out of their league but once the Dregers, McKenzies et all begin to submit their resumes to Sportsnet they will be bigger and better than TSN ever was, in other words, water will find it's level.
- paulr

They along with Lebrun have all, recently, signed long term deals with TSN.

Holy crap you're right. I hated this deal the moment the details were released. Rogers will kill hockey. Last year when I would put on some good old Wednesday night hockey on tsn I didn't care who was playing, I'd watch. Now there is no way I am taking in any more kypreos than I need to for fear of developing kypreosis whereas I would turn into a screaming non-sensical thug.

I hate Rogers, I've always hated Rogers and will always hate Rogers.

For shame NHL. For shame.

They along with Lebrun have all, recently, signed long term deals with TSN.
- TimBits

When TSN no longer have a piece of the hockey pie, and they won't, all the best hockey people will gladly be let out of their contracts

When TSN no longer have a piece of the hockey pie, and they won't, all the best hockey people will gladly be let out of their contracts
- paulr

I disagree tsn employees seemed loyal right from the start. Espn broadcasts one nfl game a week and still has good coverage. Tsn still has local rights to habs n jets games. People will still watch trade and free agent coverage on tsn. Now they just need to host intermission reports whenever sportsnet has games on so I can change channels and not get KYPREYOSIS LMAO

I disagree tsn employees seemed loyal right from the start. Espn broadcasts one nfl game a week and still has good coverage. Tsn still has local rights to habs n jets games. People will still watch trade and free agent coverage on tsn. Now they just need to host intermission reports whenever sportsnet has games on so I can change channels and not get KYPREYOSIS LMAO
- Jordy8

We'll see.

Ron McLean is not a national treasure.

Holy (frank).
- TimBits

I can't speak for everyone here in the West, but, for a guy in his late 40's I witnessed the CBC shoving the Leafs down our throats for years. Thus the hate for everything "Leafs". Better in recent years with the second telecast, too little too late for me, I can't wait for the death of HNIC.

Toronto Sports Network caters to their Ontario audience, which makes perfect business sense, again everything Leafs or BlueJays.

At least Sportsnet split into regional telecasts to show our local teams. Ya they've got inferior people, but I don't watch for the people, I watch because they're showing my team.

Ron McLean is not a national treasure.

Holy (frank).
- TimBits

Ron MacLean is an arrogant douche pr!ck, he's taken enough of our tax dollars to spew his BS. I hope they can his ass.

Tsn is far superior
The biggest point you have failed in mentioning is

Rogers is now supporting southern us teams that are bleeding money with this 5.2b deal

these teams will not be relocated to canada but your Rogers payment every month is supporting the coyotes and panthers

Bettman screws Canadians 3 fold
1. Crappy sportnet
2. Rogers customers paying for the salaries of coyotes and panthers players and the buyout of riberio
3. Guaranteed no movement for Canadian relocation of these crap us teams
- MTL1

This makes no sense. The NHL is free to use it's TV profits to do whatever it wants, and the fact is, teams that lose money will eventually be relocated. People like to crap on the Coyotes, but seem ignorant of the size of the Arizona market, which I think is top 5 in NA, or close.

If hockey ever takes off and gets a foothold there, it will be worth a couple decades of losing money. Call Bettman what you want, but the guy has a history of getting big picture thinking.

Holy crap you're right. I hated this deal the moment the details were released. Rogers will kill hockey. Last year when I would put on some good old Wednesday night hockey on tsn I didn't care who was playing, I'd watch. Now there is no way I am taking in any more kypreos than I need to for fear of developing kypreosis whereas I would turn into a screaming non-sensical thug.

I hate Rogers, I've always hated Rogers and will always hate Rogers.

For shame NHL. For shame.
- Tagleeandeddy

I wasn't scared until I read this, but suddenly I'm super paranoid about developing Kypreosis.

Ron MacLean is an arrogant douche pr!ck, he's taken enough of our tax dollars to spew his BS. I hope they can his ass.
- LeftCoaster

I guess I can understand where your coming from, but I am from Ontario so it just seems like the way things are and should be. As for MacLean, I think he's the best hockey broadcaster in the world. I love him.

The CBC is funded mostly by the federal government. In other words, the cost of hockey broadcasts is shared by all taxpayers - not just the people who actually watch the games. (Advertising revenue is substantial, but not the whole story.)
Rogers will have to make up the difference by a: cutting production costs (think inferior staff because it'll be the only show in town.) or b: Increasing revenue (think being able to watch a zillion games a week - of which 1 or 2 are "free" and the rest are PPV.)
Then there's the opportunity for advertising revenue: Like Budweiser mini-ads blazing across the top of the screen without warning during play. Or the car ads (don't remember the brand, lol) exploding from the middle of the screen, or how about the virtual advertising on the rink boards and the glass behind the goals?
Did anyone else notice that last year's intermissions had a predictable format: 1 short teaser followed by 6 ads, then a player interview, then 6 more ads, then a panel discussion, then 6 more ads............
How many ads will a serious hockey fan tolerate before the 9.95 PPV price to watch the "good" games no longer seems like such a good deal?
But there may be a silver lining yet. If you cancel your Rogers phone service, you'll save enough money to cover a basic NHL PPV package.
And for Flames fans: do you really think it was coincidence that Peter Maher retired this year? Raise your hands all you Flames fans who are counting the minutes until Rob Kerr and Charlie Simmer are back on the air.
Hockey's golden goose is dead. Soon, it'll be cooked, at least in Canada thanks to Bettman and Rogers. Bon appetit.

James Tanner: Rogers Taking Over Canadian Hockey Broadcasts: Why It's Bad
A look into the NHL's deal with Rogers.
- James_Tanner

Before you start to hyper ventilate, you do realize TSN will still be broadcasting NHL games...or did you "accidentally" overlook that fact?

This deal means that TSN will no longer be broadcasting "national" games....but they are still doing local. It's actually like they have reversed roles with rogers sportsnet. I know they are still working on some deals with teams, but as it stands TSN will be broadcasting games for Toronto, Ottawa (52 games), Montreal and Winnipeg.

Other then that, I agree with most of what you said in your article

HNIC was one of the best hockey broadcasts. ANYTHING that the US produces does not hold a candle to HNIC.

We get stupid NBC broadcasts of hockey with Doc Emrick who is so in love with Crosby he mentions him at least 10 times a game, even if it's not the Pens playing.

Give me HNIC any day.
- ViolentEd1

Yeah because it's so perfectly acceptable for Milbury to spew his Penguins hatred on a nightly basis.